The Arizona sentinel., 1887-10-01
coRNERED BY BEARS.
A Colorado Miners Discouraging Experi
 ence with Bruin.

1 onCe WlIn
 "Yes, sir, that was about the closest call I ever had.
 This remark, coming from we'll built, good-looklng young miner. and made with serious infection that left no doubt of its sincerity. attracted the attention of reporter who happened to be standing close to group of min- ing men few days ago.
 ..It was last winter" continued the l miner, ''when me and my partner, Jim Rogers, was working an assess ment on a couple of old prospects of ours up in Geneva Park. about half way between Grant and Montezuma- Grub had given otit few days before. and while Jim was driving the work on a standardization level through solid rock, started over to Montezu- ma for a supply of grub. Snow! Well, 1 should remark. And cold. We'll, if we hadn't had to have grub, nothing else would have got me over that seven miles and back. but it had to come over and brought it. had just got to the cabin and fixed up sup per for Jim and me. and got the dishes on the table. l Istepped to the door to throw out some potatO-parings, talk ing to Jim. When. as turned around at the door, l saw. looking through the little window at the side of the cabin, one of the uglest and biggest bears that I ever want to see. She was sit- ting up on her launches and looking right at me, and as turned little more saw through the partly open door two more big bears In front of the cabin. We didn't have even a dirk-knife in the cabin, nor gun or re- volver, and the ax was at the wood pile forty feet from the door, and the two bears between me and it I tell you I thought it was rainin bears for a minute. A good deal quicker than I'm telling this jumped for the poker that we used to fasten the cabin door with. and slipped it into place. Just then the old she-bear at the window gave a growl and made pass at the window with her paw. Bif, it came, sash, glass, and all on the floor. Before the noise had stopped smash came the other bears against the door, and it's only a miracle that it didn't come in. The poker was bent all out of shape. We'll, Jim and me did lots of thinking about that time, and if ever wanted 45- repeater wanted it right then. You see, the snow had been lying awful deep there, and the bears were raven ous and most likely hadn't had any thing to eat for a long time. They have to get terribly hungry before they will attack cabin like that.
 I've threw burning paper and fire brands. dishes and every thing we could get hands on at the old bear in the window, but she just stood there and glared at us. l never thought there could be SO much fire in an eye as there was in hers. She stood there looking at us and we at her, when all at once we heard noise on the roof. You bet we knew what it was, too, and were about ready to give up then. The two-year olds, the old bears cubs, had got up on the dirt roof of the cab in. Pretty soon they commenced throwin' dirt, and in about two min utes had got down to the poles that held the dirt. We could look right up through the poles where the dirt was clawed of and see them. And wasn't they mad? They would claw along lengthwise of the pole and rake the bark off every clip, and every minute we were expecting them to get their claws in between the poles and then we would be gone. If they had known enough to give one or two scrapes sideways they could easily have scooped off enough poles to let them down in. What then? We'll. the bears would have had square meal, and I wouldn't be here telling you about it. All the time they were scraping away up there l stood with the straw bedtick on the floor open and lighted candle in my hand. As 1 told Jim, it was poor chance, but I rather be burned up than eaten up. The old bear stayed right there at the window all the time watching us. It was too small for her, or she'd have been in herself After while they seemed to get tired. and, after prowling around the cabin until we were near frightened to death, they went of. I measured the biggest one's tracks in the snow next morn- ing, and it was fourteen inches long. It wasn't long before that cabin had a rifle in it, and you don't catch me in bear county again with no protectio n but a straw bed and a candle. ."- DenUer Ne1OS.